Thursday, February 16, 2012

ANGELA BOFILL - ANGIE (EXPANDED EDITION)

Released in 1978, Angie was the auspicious debut album by singer and songwriter Angela Bofill, marking the arrival of a distinctive and unique artist who has built a solid following among soul and jazz connoisseurs worldwide ever since. Angie is a mixture of jazzy soul and soulful jazz, all put together with a sound that's really a cut above most of her contemporaries. As with Jean Carne or Phyllis Hyman, there's a sophistication to Angela's sound here that indicates roots in much hipper territory that were still pulling strongly on her work for this mainstream set – a sound that runs deeper than you might expect for such a commercially successful record, and which has really kept it alive for years

The Bronx, New York-born artist worked in a variety of different artists including jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Cannonball Adderley and disco group Ecstasy, Passion & Pain as well as singing with The Dance Theater Of Harlem before landing her record deal with GRP Records, the label founded by key jazz producers Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen. Grusin & Rosen masterminded the production of Angie, pulling together an amazing group of star players for the sessions including drummers Buddy Williams and Steve Gadd, bassist Francisco Centeno, percussionist Ralph MacDonald, guitarist Eric Gale, Grusin himself on keyboards and GRP labelmate/flautist Dave Valentin (who facilitated Angela’s introduction to the label).

Angie received immediate acclaim for press, radio and public in the US, reaching No. 5 on Billboard’s jazz charts, No. 20 on the R&B charts and No. 47 on the Top 200 album charts. The single, "This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” (included here on this expanded edition reissue) was also a Top 30 R&B hit establishing Angela as a staple soul/jazz artist. Titles include "Children Of The World United", "Summer Days", "Rough Times", "This Time I'll Be Sweeter", and "The Only Thing I Would Wish For". Includes a bonus track – the Arista single mix of "This Time I'll Be Sweeter".

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